Minister of National Defence Radu Miruta announced on Thursday that a marine drone carrying explosives had been destroyed by the Romanian Army using the onboard gun of an F-16 fighter jet in the area of the Neptun Deep platform in the Black Sea.

'This morning [Thursday], we were informed by the Coast Guard about the presence of a marine drone a few hundred metres from the gas extraction works at the Neptun Deep platform, in Romania's exclusive economic zone, 80 nautical miles east of Constanta. A command cell was set up within the Ministry of National Defence, which requested NATO-level command to be assumed by the Romanian Army. Following the analyses carried out and in coordination with the President of Romania, a decision was taken to destroy the drone in order to protect the lives of the several hundred people working on the platform and secure critical infrastructure. For rapid action, two Romanian F-16 fighter jets were scrambled, with orders to fire. The drone was safely destroyed. It was carrying explosives,' Miruta wrote on Facebook.

He added that, through the direct communication channel recently established with the Ukrainian side, he had received official confirmation that the drone 'is not of Ukrainian origin'.

The Ministry of National Defence said in a press release sent to AGERPRES that two Romanian Air Force F-16 aircraft had intervened on Thursday in the case of a small maritime drone in Romania's exclusive economic zone, near the Neptun Alpha platform, approximately 80 nautical miles east of Constanta, and that one of the aircraft had engaged the target and fired its onboard gun, hitting it.

The presence of the drifting maritime drone was reported by a commercial vessel at around 6:28 am, the ministry said.

A Coast Guard vessel carrying an EOD team from the Romanian Naval Forces is heading to the area to conduct checks. AGERPRES (RO - writing by: Mihai Stoica; EN - writing by: Simona Iacob)

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